A London Day Out

Whitehall womens war memorial
The Women’s WWII Memorial, Whitehall

A day off today and up to London. We don’t go very often at all these days – £44 for a family train ticket isn’t too expensive but by the time you’ve factored in £30 minimum for lunch,  it adds up.  Anyway this time we played tourist and my daughter got to see (at a distance) where it’s all going to be happening next Friday morning!  First photo opp was at Trafalgar Square, and for once I’ll forego my normal hiding behind the lens…

Then we wandered off down Whitehall, passing Horseguards Parade. Those guards and their horses have a lot to put up with.  A little further on, and it was great to see the new monument to the Women of World War II which is totally fitting and also a great modern sculpture.

Downing Street
Downing Street

Onwards to the seat of power!  There was no activity at all peering through the railings – the PM was obviously elsewhere pressing flesh and grimacing grinning.

We crossed over Westminster Bridge and past Waterloo, stopping at an Italian café for a quick lunch, ending up at the Imperial War Museum, which I’ve never been to.

Potato Pete Doctor CarrotJuliet and I left OH to see the bits he was interested in, and we went to the Horrible Histories Terrible Trenches (OK but not special) and an exhibit all about the Ministry of Food (fab).  Juliet has been reading a great little children’s book all about it and thoroughly recommends Rations, A Very Peculiar History.  Juliet is still keen to try Woolton pie (potato and onion, veg essentially; Woolton was the Minister for Food) one day. I bought tons of postcards of all the wonderful posters exhorting us to eat less bread and plant more potatoes etc. and may well share more of them with you another day.

Then a little footsore, back to Paddington and home in time for tea.  If you’re in the UK, I hope you had a good bank holiday too.

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